Floor rack for refrigerator cars



' Feb. 14, 1939.

V. E. WEST FLOOR RACK FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 24, 1938 Feb. I4, 1939. v. E. wEsT 2,147,131

FLOOR RACK FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Patented Feb. 14, 1939 Partnr ceri-cs Application January 124, 1938, iSelrial fNo. :186,509

The invention relates to insulated refrigerator cars used to transport perishable commodities, such las vegetables, fruits, `berries, meats, eggs, frozen iishfetc.,1and1to-maintain such commodities while in transit within aipredet'erminederange of temperature, `thus necessitating the use of a cooling means in the summer and a heating means in the winter. It has been found that perishable commodities which have not been allowed to get too cold (freeze) or too hot (bake) have a high market value because they have a longer storage life.

The invention specifically relates to a floor rack or means to support a lading in spaced relation to the usual insulated floor of the car to provide an air circulating flue below the lading.

The object of the invention is to provide a floor rack for a refrigerator car Which is very strong to support vertical loads and has great strength in a horizontal direction (to resist the tendency of a shifting load to move the floor rackside- Wise) without materially retarding the flow of air below the floor rack or materially reducing the amount of air flow through the floor rack.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 are longitudinal and lateral cross sections, respectively, of a railway refrigerator car having a bulkhead separating a refrigerant chamber from the lading compartment and a oor rack in the lading compartment. The arrows indicate the direction of movement of the air caused by its contact with the refrigerant and lading.

Fig. 3 shows a plan view of my improved floor rack.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section` on line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of one of the pedestals.

rack.

In the form of my invention illustrated the refrigerator car is provided with a bulkhead 2 separating the refrigerant chamber 3 from the lading compartment 4, The bulkhead 2 is provided with. an aperture 5 adjacent the oor B of the car and an aperture 1 adjacent the ceiling 8 of the car with a solid wall 9 therebetween. Y

A refrigerant is supported by the grates I2 in the refrigerant chamber 3 in spaced relation to the floor 6 of the car and the basket (or netting) I3 spaces the refrigerant from the end wall I4 and bulkhead 2 to provide the flues `I G -V-I 1. The apertured floor rack I8 supports the lading'iso as to providev the space or flue 20 which communin cates with the flues I6--I'L A refrigerant, such Fig. 7 shows a modified construction of my oor (c1. V4.fun-2.75)

rasice, in `the --refrigerant chamber induces a convection circulation vof fair-"from the ues ISF-I1 through the iluespace y20 and .lthe --aperture 2l inethe flloor rack I-8,and'as1thelair is v.warmed by the -ladi-ng it -rises iand passes through the bulkl 'headupper lopening `1, and-thence through .the

flues -Ili--Ifl and rbeing cooledlby @the refrigerant, repeats the convection cycle.

My improvedY oor rack comprises a plurality of panels 22 wherein each panel comprises a body portion 24 provided with perforations 2| and formed with a marginal depending flange 26. The flanges of adjacent panels are secured preferably by welding (21) to form a substantially unitary floor rack.

The adjacent portions of adjacent flanges 26 are formed to provide hollow pedestals 28 which rest upon the floor 6 of the car. The side Walls ofthe pedestals are provided with apertures 30 to allow air to move therethrough to the lading compartment 4 of the car. The flange portions of the adjacent panels are preferably welded together (32) to .form an integral panel. Drain holes 34 may be provided.

Fig. 7 shows a modification wherein the pedestals 28 on one side of each panel 36 are staggered relative to the pedestals on the opposite side of the same panel. The aperture 2| in the panels may be provided with flanges 38 to stiffen the body portions of the panels.

The panels are preferably provided with downwardly projecting corrugations or grooves 40 which extend substantially between certain pedestals 28 to stiifen the body portions of the panels therebetween. These grooves 4l)` preferably merge into the hollows of the hollow pedestals to form gutters to drain water from the upper surfaces of the panels.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art:

I claim:

l. In a refrigerator car having a floor, a rack for supporting a lading in spaced relation to the floor to provide a flue therebetween, and means to induce an air current in said ue, said rack comprising a plurality of panels, each panel comprising a perforated bodyportion formed with a depending flange with the flanges of adjacent panels secured together and with the adjacent portions of adjacent anges formed to provide hollow pedestals resting upon said floor.

2. In a refrigerator car having a floor, a rack for supporting a lading in spaced relation to the floor to provide a flue therebetween, and means to induce an air current in said flue, said rack comprising a plurality of panels, each panel comprising a perforated bodyv portion formed with a depending ange with the flangesof adjacent panels secured together and With the adjacent portions of adjacent anges formed to provide hollow pedestals resting upon said floor, the pedestals on one side of each panel being staggered relative to the pedestals on the opposite side of the same panel.

3. In a refrigerator car having a floor, a rack for supporting a lading in spaced relation to the floor to provide a flue therebetween, and means to induce an air current in said flue, said rack comprising a plurality of panels, each panel comprising ,a perforated body portion formed with a dependingl flange with the flanges of adjacent panelssecured together and with the adjacent portions of adjacent anges formed to provide holle-W pedestals resting upon said floor, said panels being provided With stiffening corrugations extending between the pedestals.

4. In a refrigerator car having a oor, a rack for supporting a lading in spaced relation to the said panels being provided with stiening corrugatons extending'between and merging into the hollow portion of the pedestals.

5` In a refrigerator car having a oor, a rack for smcvporting a lading in spaced relation to the iioor to provide a flue therebetween, and means to induce an air current in said flue, said rack comprisingV a` plurality of panels, each panel comprising a perforated body portion formed with a depending ange with the flanges of adjacent panels secured together and with the adjacent portions of adjacent flanges formed to provide hollow pedestals resting upon said oor, the side walls of said pedestals being provided With apertures.

. VICTOR E. WEST. 

